first Long Branch Variety Show did not feature Miss Kitty, but rather starred Mrs. Mock portraying Dora Hand, who was an entertainer in the saloons and theaters of early Dodge City. As more and more travelers visited Boot Hill and the Long Branch Saloon, their first questions were "Where is Kitty?" Visitors expected to see Kitty at the Long Branch Saloon so Dora Hand was replaced with Miss Kitty. Members of the original cast of Gunsmoke visited in the early days of the show including a special ceremony to rename a downtown Dodge City street to Gunsmoke Avenue. James Arness (Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Kitty), Milburn Stone (Doc Adams), and Ken Curtis (Festus) all visited Dodge City and its Long Branch Saloon. History For the first nine years, Mrs. Mock portrayed Miss Kitty and Dr. Mock provided piano accompaniment and because of his profession, he acquired the nickname "Doc". Many of the early musical numbers were written by Mrs. Mock. Tunes such as "She Runs an Elegant Place", "Best Saloon in the West", and "How'd You Like to Teepee with Me?" were numbers created by the Mocks for the show. Early versions of the show included a quick-draw contest, dramatic readings, and dance numbers. Local young women became part of the dance troupe, presenting one specialty number as well as the Can-Can at each performance. Mrs. Mock also wrote the original show theme song "Down at the Long Branch Saloon". The song was used for the first nine years and then was lost to history for a number years after it was replaced in 1967. In the early 2000s, the song returned to the show and is currently featured as the finale. At the end of the 1966 season, Rosemary & Lewis Mock, the original "Doc & Kitty" retired. Nine summers of seven nights a week was exhausting and they were ready for a rest. The 1967 season would see an all new cast which included Nellis Reinert, a local Dodge City housewife and member of Sweet Adelines who was chosen to portray Miss Kitty now billed as the "Queen of Dodge City". The cast may have changed, but the basic format remained the same. A new show theme song was introduced, "The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City" and was used until 1983 when it was replaced. It too, was lost to history for a few years, but was